- Latest Headlines
-
SIX SARRIES MEMORIES
As we await the return of the Premiership, there is plenty to watch, some of it with bated breath, as England simultaneously adapt to a new vision of rugby, at least for themselves whilst also trying to re-connect with a dangerously disconnected support base. One the one hand it is great to see some of the Saracens players shine on the international stage, and I do not forget that we have representatives in more than one six-nations squad. On the other hand, it gives an opportunity to wallow in a little nostalgia.
-
Sarries Steam In, Josh And Theo Sizzle.....
It was a cold and damp-feeling Friday night as we made our way into StoneX, a little later than usual after enjoying a warming early tea at a packed Metro Italia. The game had already kicked off when we reached our places in the East Stand, and Sarries had made such a positive start that, by the time the Brownes’ bums were on seats, they were already 5-0 up after a reportedly huge kick from Manu had set up a maul from which Tizard had powered his way over the line - happily we saw Manu’s assured conversion take matters to 7-0 with barely 2 minutes on the clock.
-
WHAT DO WE THINK OF IT SO FAR?
A brief review of the season to date, mainly to keep the site alive, but here is a quick reminder of what has happened in the season so far
-
Sarries Back in Business...........
And so to StoneX for the second Saturday in a row – I wasn’t complaining, particularly as for both games (Lyon and Chiefs) we had late kick-off times to fit round TV coverage which afforded a more leisurely Saturday morning than usual in the Browne household. Everyone was still digesting the news about Owen Farrell’s departure to Racing 92 – long-trailed in the media but now confirmed; I was hoping that everything now being out in the open, so to speak, would further clear the air around StoneX after an encouraging display against Lyon in Sarries’ last outing. The matchday 23 saw a few changes from last week as Theo Dan, Jamie, Maro, Nick Isiekwe, Ben and Elliott were now all away on England duty. There was a good physical look to the front with Logovi’i Munipola, James Hadfield and Christian Judge up top, with the returning Theo McFarland forming a very athletic-looking second row with Hugh Tizard, dynamism in the back three of Juan Martin Gonzalez, Andy Christie and Billy; the midfield hub of Owen Farrell and Ivan Van Zyl was a proven combination of skill and guile and there was power and pace in the centres with Ollie Hartley alongside Nick Tompkins, while the backs looked solid with Alex Lewington, Alex Goode and a Roti Segun fully recovered and hopefully ready to wreak havoc (if last week’s game was anything to go by); it was also good to see Eroni Mawi back in the 23. Chiefs had a squad mixing old and very new, and although they haven’t been quite as devastating during the season as they were against Sarries at Sandy Park on the opening day back in October, they’ve nonetheless been playing with a lot of verve and attacking variation – certainly they’re a lot better to watch than the “kick to the corner and rumble” Exeter of old, effective as that could be… We were treated to a display of phone torches being waved in the stands as the teams came out – an idea borrowed from the ritual seen by some of us at Stade Chabal-Delmas a couple of week ago: for floodlit games it can look quite dramatic and hopefully it’ll catch on more at StoneX when conditions permit. Corny as some of it was, I’d been impressed by the pre-match build-up in Bordeaux, not least the crowd shouting each player’s surname as the match squad was broadcast – although it could get a bit wearisome if all three Vunipolas are selected for a match.
-
SARACENS v EXETER CHIEFS: post match-related content here
Our game on Saturday against Exeter will be our last opportunity to watch Sarries (at least in a meaningful game) for almost 2 months. The next game (against Quins on 23rd March) is on the weekend of Palm Sunday – and we aren’t even into Lent yet! (A quick aside – feel free to skip the next bit)! I once gave up alcohol for Lent thinking it was 40 days – only to discover that that doesn’t include Sundays! Lent is more like 6 ½ weeks. And furthermore there seems to be much debate as to when it ends! I took it to be Easter Saturday when Sarries were playing Munster in the Heineken semi-final at the Ricoh. The SSA were offering free glasses of wine. It was a hot day in April (Easter is a highly moveable feast!) and I had a glass of warm Chardonnay. I’ve never tasted anything quite so good! But I digress.
-
WILL THE REAL SARACENS PLEASE STAND UP
Bristol made it easy for us. Going into this game against at less-than-full-strength Lyon team who haven’t won on the road since February last year, we need just one point. If we can’t do that then we don’t deserve to go through. And oh my goodness for much of this game it looks like we won't!
-
SARACENS v LYON: please post match-related content here
Where to begin? After last Sunday’s shambles in Bordeaux, Sarries have left themselves with an awful lot to do to keep their European hopes alive. Under normal circumstances, nothing would be impossible for this team but quite honestly, after that abject evening in France where most of the team didn’t seem to want to be wearing the shirt (I never thought I’d write that), hopes are not that high. Those last 2 tries we lazily conceded (along with something similar against Bulls a few weeks ago) means our points difference is not in our favour and there is every chance qualification will all come down to that.
-
UBB v SARACENS: please post match-related comment here
This weekend sees a return to Europe and a tough away fixture for Sarries at Union Bordeaux Begles (UBB). There is an awful lot wrong with the format for this European competition but it seems scant return for the English champions and No1 seeds to end up with an away tie to the form team in France (having already had to travel away to the form team in South Africa). Maybe they should just do away with the seedings and make it a straight draw? Anyway even defeat on Sunday shouldn’t spell the end of Sarries’ European hopes as long as they have a good win at home to Lyon the following week.
-
TIGERS V SARRIES: A REFLECTION
I have tried to write this as a match report, but that didn’t work. Readers are already aware of the result, many have watched the match and many more have read reports in the Press and social media. In addition, I found the game so poor to watch that I cannot bring myself to re-watch it, nor to cudgel my memory for recall of something so forgettable. Consequently, I propose to write instead a sharing of thoughts about what this game indicated about the current state of affairs at two clubs, and what it could portend for the remainder of this season.
-
LEICESTER TIGERS v SARACENS: post match related comment here
Saturday sees the team travel to Welford Road to take on Leicester Tigers in the first of January’s tough series of games. Saracens welcomed back Roti Segun, Ben Earl, Nick Isiekwe and Eliott Daly last weekend while a number of regulars had a well-deserved break so in theory the team should be fresh, strong and raring to go! In theory anyway.